GUAJILLO FIZZ Cocktail Recipe

I love a good cocktail just like most women out there. I work 6 days a week, 10 hours a day and when I am done working I love to sit down & relax with a good drink in-hand.

Just in time for Labor Day, a delicious chili-inspired libation created by mixologist Osvaldo Vazquez – the Guajillo Fizz cocktail. The recipe and photo is courtesy of Capella Pedregal in Cabo San Lucas.

GUAJILLO FIZZ Cocktail Recipe

· 2 Oz Tequila - Casa Dragones Blanco
· 1 Pc Guajillo Pedregal Farm Pepper
· 1 Oz Ginger Syrup
· ¼ Oz Fresh Lemon Juice
· 3 Basil Leaves
· 1 Egg White
· Dash of Pychard`s Bitters
· Dash of homemade Chile Ancho Bitters

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add all ingredients into a boston glass. Muddle and Shake Vigorously and then proceed to strain into a Tumbler Glass with a large ice cube

2. Garnish: Guajillo Pepper, Pychard`s Bitters, allspice

Disclosure: You must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcohol. Please drink responsibly.

Cheap Fix: DIY Hanging Pot Rack

For the past several months I have been looking around for an affordable hanging pot rack to hang up inside my pantry closet. When I say affordable, I was NOT willing to spend more than $25 for something that no one will ever see but me since it will be inside my pantry closet.

Everything that I saw was $75 or more...sure, they were pretty but crap...all they were doing was holding pots and pans! Seriously? I am not paying $75.00 just for that!

Finally, I stumbled into the odds & ends section at one of the local stores and found a metal coat rack, towel rack..whatever. It can be used for a gazillion things around the home. Price? Try $4.99 which was right up my alley!

I brought it home and had hubby hang it up on the wall inside our walk-in pantry closet. He located the studs and used screws so that it would hold the weight of my heavy frying pans. There are 8 hanging hooks...4 large ones and 4 smaller ones. Each hook can hold one pan and I just love it!

Once it was up, I loaded it up with all of my heavy-duty frying pans and couldn't be happier! Matter of fact, I am going back there next week and grabbing another one so I can hang up some of my saucepans and lids too! That will free up another kitchen cabinet that I can use for other things.

While it might not be pretty like those expensive hanging pot racks you see in all of the kitchen stores, it serves my purpose, works beautifully and I love the price tag of less than $5.00 each! Yay me!

Fun Preppy Movie Suggestions for a Retro Party

We love to host parties here in our home and often times we pick a theme and just run with it. A few months ago we had a 1980's Preppy Party and did a preppy movie theme. Today, I wanted to share with all of you a list of preppy movies you could use if you were doing a retro preppy party too!

* Revenge of the Nerds
* Weird Science
* The Key to My Success
* The Breakfast Club
* Ferris Bueller's Day Off
* Breakfast at Tiffany's
* Wedding Crashers
* National Lampoon's Animal House
* Clueless
* Cruel Intentions
* The World According to Garp
* Caddyshack
* Dead Poet's Society
* Trading Places
* Valley Girl
* The Preppie Murder
* Pretty in Pink
* The Karate Kid
* Better of Dead
* Fast Times at Ridgemont High
* Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

The next time you are hosting a party or a family get-together...consider doing a retro 1980's-90's Preppy Movie Theme! Our party was a lot of fun!

American Beef Chili Recipe

Almost everyone that I know enjoys a good bowl of chili that is rich in texture and flavors. Personally, when I enjoy a bowl of chili, I like to pour it over a baked potato...yummy good! Here is a great recipe for All-American Beef Chili from the folks over at Medifast.

All-American Beef Chili Recipe

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
2 tsp minced chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
3 cloves garlic
1½ lbs 95% lean ground beef

Directions

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add green pepper, chipotle chilies, chili powder, and cumin. Cook until softened, about five minutes. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant-about 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high, and add ground beef. Cook beef until browned. Add tomatoes to the beef mixture, and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened.

Per serving: 320 calories | 13g fat | 12g carbohydrates | 39g protein

Delicious Homemade Doughnut Recipes

Love doughnuts? Making your own doughnuts at home is much easier than you may think. Not only that, you can control the ingredients going into them as compared to the store bought versions. Here are a few great homemade doughnut recipes from Pastry Chef Nikolas Mastalerz.

Pastry Chef Nikolas Mastalerz of Harbor View Hotel, one of Martha’s Vineyard’s most iconic landmarks, is satisfying sweet cravings with his homemade doughnuts. Patrons can enjoy these delectable treats every Sunday starting at 10 a.m. at the hotel’s pool, where a different doughnut is served every week, warm and fresh from the kitchen’s side door.

Dough:

6 1/2 cups bread flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 Tbs. instant yeast
3/4 Tbs. salt
3 whole eggs
8 egg yolks
2 1/3 cups whole milk
2 1/2 cups butter
4 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean
1 lemon zest

- Pour yeast into mixing bowl
- Combine milk, vanilla bean, vanilla extract, lemon zest, egg yolks and whole eggs and add to yeast
- Add flour, sugar and salt
- Mix ingredients for 2-3 minutes on first speed before switching to second speed, gradually adding butter until dough forms elastic consistency
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight
- The next day, roll out to 1-inch thickness and cut with doughnut cutters. Proof dough for one to two hours until double in size and fry in oil at 320 degrees F., flipping occasionally until center of doughnut reaches 210 degrees F. Drain doughnuts on paper towels and place on glazing rack to dry.

Strawberry and Cream Glaze:

1 cup strawberry purée
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 cups powdered sugar

- Whisk the cream and purée together and add a pinch of salt.
- Pour the powdered sugar into mixture slowly while whisking. If it is too thick, add more cream. Whisk until the glaze forms a thick ribbon consistency and spread glaze onto doughnut.
- If not using immediately, cover surface in plastic to prevent a skin from forming.

White Chocolate Coconut Glaze:

2 cups shredded coconut
3 cups white coverture chocolate
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons coconut liquor

- Set oven to 335 degrees F. and toast the coconut on a half sheet pan until lightly golden (about 8-10 minutes).
- Heat the cream and coconut milk to a boil and add the liquor, and pour over the chocolate. With an immersion blender, emulsify the mixture until it becomes a ganache consistency.
- Allow the ganache to cool to 90-100 degrees F. for dipping consistency, then dip the doughnuts in the ganache and finish with the toasted coconut.

Chilmark Coffee and Nutella Glaze:

2 oz. Chilmark brewed coffee (hot)
1 cup Nutella
1/2 cup heavy cream
Powdered sugar (as needed)

- Combine the Nutella and heavy cream in a pot over medium heat and stir until the Nutella and cream combine smoothly. Add the coffee and pour into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
- While whisking, slowly add powdered sugar until the glaze forms a thick ribbon consistency and then spread glaze onto doughnut.
- If not using immediately, cover surface in plastic to prevent a skin from forming.

French Apple-Almond Butter Cake Recipe

It is hard to believe that August is already here and before you know it...Fall will be setting in. Every year when September hits I visit our local orchard and pick up a few quarts of apples. I love making a wide variety of apple cakes, pies, cobbler, applesauce, etc. during this time of the year.

The great folks over at Nielsen-Massey sent over this delicious French Apple-Almond Butter Cake Recipe for me to share with all of my readers. Plus, they sent over some great tips and did you know that August has a National Apple Week? I didn't know that until now! Enjoy!

French Apple-Almond Butter Cake Recipe
(Serves 8)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (1½ -sticks) unsalted butter
3 medium Fuji apples (about 3 cups, divided)
2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar (for apple pieces)
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 tablespoon apple liqueur
½ teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Pure Almond Extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9-inch light color, non-stick cake pan with cooking spray; line the bottom of the cake pan with a piece of parchment paper; set aside.
In a small bowl, add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, whisk to combine; set aside. In a small saucepan, melt butter; set aside to cool. Peel, core and cut apples into ¼-inch pieces, place in a medium bowl and mix with brown sugar; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add butter and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape bowl sides with a rubber spatula as needed. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla extract, apple liqueur and almond extract; beat to combine. Gradually add the dry ingredients beat on low, just until incorporated.
With a rubber spatula, fold in 2 cups of prepared apple pieces into batter; pour batter into baking pan and evenly spread. Place remaining cup of apple pieces over top of cake batter. Bake until done, about 35-40 minutes.

Remove cake from oven and run a knife around sides of cake. Let stand for 10 minutes and turn onto a wire rack; remove parchment and turn onto second wire rack to cool.
Serve with warm Vanilla Carmel Sauce.

Vanilla Carmel Sauce Recipe
(Yield ½ Cup)

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon apple liqueur

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add butter, sugar, brown sugar and cream; cook and whisk. Bring sauce to boil. Remove from heat add vanilla extract and apple liqueur; stir until combined. Serve 1 tablespoon warm sauce over each slice of cake.

Tips for Storing Apples: After returning from the apple orchard, farm stand or store, follow these recommendations to store your bounty. If properly stored, some apple varieties can last up to five months, providing you with nutritious fresh fruit well into spring.

Disclosure: The photo and recipe is courtesy of Nielsen-Massey Vanilla.

Sweet Berry Bourbon Cocktail Recipe

How many of you like bourbon? Personally, I am not a huge fan of it. However, my husband does enjoy it and often times he enjoys it mixed with a fruity cocktail like this recipe from Voga Italia. Labor is quickly approaching and we are hosting a big backyard barbecue party. I think we will whip up a few of these for the party!!!

Sweet Berry Bourbon Cocktail Recipe

3 oz. VOGA Dolce Rosso
1 oz. Bourbon
Fresh blueberries, mint and raspberries

Mix equal parts water and sugar until sugar is dissolved to make simple syrup. Muddle fresh blueberries, mint and raspberries into a cocktail shaker. Add ice, simple syrup, VOGA Dolce Rosso, bourbon. Shake well and strain into glass. Add fresh berries and mint sprig for garnish.

Disclaimer/Disclosure: You must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcohol. Please drink responsibly. The photo and recipe is courtesy of VOGA Italia. Please visit their website for additional recipes and information.

5 Natural Remedies for Arthritis Symptoms

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often the go-to option to remedy pain and inflammation caused by Arthritis; but if taken in large doses, this drug could lead to a variety of dangerous or even life-threatening conditions such as stomach bleeding and an increased risk of cardiovascular problems including heart attacks.

Choose the natural alternative- here are 5 natural options to alleviate common arthritis symptoms.

Check out these 5 Natural Remedies for Arthritis Symptoms

1. Camu Camu Powder

This powerful Amazonian berry has been in the news lately for booting the well-known Acai berry off the Superfruit thrown not only for its remarkably high Vitamin C content, but also for its incredible anti-inflammatory abilities.

According to Camu Camu berry distributors Amazon Origins, these berries, “…have an extraordinarily high Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC), which helps strengthen your immune system and prevent inflammation, cell damage, and possibly disease.”

They add that because Camu Camu powder uses the whole fruit (skin, fruit pulp, & seed) it has been found to possess a potent anti-inflammatory triterpenoid, betulinic acid, which is not found in the fruit pulp alone.

2. Aloe Vera Oil

Aloe Vera oil is well-known for treating small wounds, which often cause inflammation. This plant and it’s oil contains the powerful steroids Lupeol, ß-Sitosterol and Campesterol which in a series of tests, demonstrated effectiveness as an anti-inflammatory.

3. Turmeric

Known as a ‘blood purifier,’ the major ingredient of turmeric is Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), which according to the US National Library of Medicine, was found to influence more than 700 genes, and it can inhibit both the activity and the synthesis of the enzymes cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and 5-lipooxygenase (5-LOX), as well as other enzymes that have been implicated in inflammation.

4. Flax seed

This seed, from the upright-standing plant Flax, provides over 140 percent of the recommended daily value of Omega-3 fatty acids which are directly tied to inflammation reduction. In addition, flaxseeds provide more of the cancer-fighting plant chemical Lignan, than any other food on earth.

5. Ginger

Ginger has shown to be effective in alleviating pain and inflammation through the suppression of the synthesis of the beginning stages of inflammation. This is due to its compound Gingerol, which also gives chili peppers and black pepper’s their spiciness.

Connect you with Dr. Derrick DeSilva of Amazon Origins to discuss more potential Arthritis and health benefits of taking natural remedies for your arthritis symptoms.